Insight student Review

I felt that the insight experience was the most pertinent method of gaining a first-hand understanding of the firm and a true appreciation for the industry. The staff were all extremely friendly which enhanced my enjoyment of my time there. The activities were varied and ensured that, as far as possible, everyone had the opportunity to work in the departments of their choice.

As an insight student, I expected to be merely shadowing employees or undertaking activities with other students. However, the programme ensured that we spent dedicated time in departments, which allowed us to become trusted members of teams. This meant that we could be given tangible work to contribute to and we were involved in daily departmental or client meetings. Not only did I feel valued by the recruitment team, but I also felt appreciated by the departments that I worked with.

There were several opportunities to engage in skills workshops or knowledge sessions every day, to ensure that we all felt comfortable and supported working in the industry environment, despite originating from varied backgrounds and with a range of different experiences behind us. I also felt assured and relaxed with the recruitment team, and, if necessary, would have been very happy to consult them about any concerns I may have had.

As a law student, I was grateful that the experience was not only centred on financial expertise, but also provided me with several transferable skills, such as data analysis, communication, client facing professionalism and boosted my self confidence. Primarily, however, the experience has been valuable to set a firm foundation for my future career, that I hope will be in this industry. The first-hand, interactive opportunities offered through the insight scheme have ensured a wealth of knowledge and awareness for future applications.

Whilst I appreciated the range of opportunities, events, activities and sessions available to us, I felt that there were too many introductory exercises and foundation sessions, which could have been better spent working in departments on the ground. Much of the invaluable knowledge and experience I gained was through hands on activities, rather than discussion workshops or introductory games.

I thought that the atmosphere was extremely relaxed and focussed on teamwork and compatibility. I am grateful to the graduate recruitment team for their hard work in this area, as I felt their efforts served well to establish a friendly and welcoming atmosphere throughout the insight experience. Between the insight students, I felt like a member of a cohesive and united cohort, and did not sense an overwhelmingly competitive spirit, which enhanced the enjoyability of the whole experience.

Although there were several opportunities for us to engage with knowledge enhancement sessions and skills workshops, I felt that these were not the main focus of the insight experience, and they were not a huge investment from the firm. I did not sense that there was an institutional or systematic investment in insight students. Rather, I was surprised to find that individual employees and co-workers were very generous and helpful, and my interactions with these members of the firm were more valuable for my personal training and development.

The insight showed me what life on the ground in the firm would truly be like. I feel that it is challenging to understand the 'true picture' of working life from the outside, as there are many stereotypes, horror stories and marketing ploys used in the media to portray firms or industries in a particular light. As this insight involved several rotations working in different departments, it ensured a firm understanding of real working life.

As before, the cohesive integration of insight students with everyday work allowed a first hand appreciation for the company culture. There were several opportunities for networking with a range of individuals, including senior and executive staff members. We also enjoyed presentations from core members of staff. These gave an individual perspective on the company culture and introduced us to the typical ways of thinking and working practices at the firm.

At this stage of my career, I was browsing a few different industries and career paths, including law, finance and accounting. This insight experience was critical in helping me understand what life in the financial industry would truly be like, and has cemented my intention to continue pursuing this particular career path. Aside from helping choose the wider industry that I would like to work in, the experience further narrowed down my perspective on the types of departments and roles I would like to experience in the first 5-10 years of my career.

Yes, we enjoyed several experiences. Primarily, network sessions were held over lunch periods, to integrate them with the working day of the employees and with our insight experience schedules. We also had the opportunity to shadow several employees in three different departments, which allowed us to bond with individuals, discuss personal experiences and motivations, and gave a much more friendly atmosphere to the entire process.

The networking opportunities were positive and well organised. Prior to networking meetings, we were put in touch with individual employees as 'mentors', which meant that we weren't completely lost when we arrived and had a good starting point to begin discussions with the employees. There were also social event opportunities for the insight students and the graduate recruitment team, which worked well as ice breakers, helped us bond and gave us the opportunity to share our experiences and become more informed about the departments we had not personally been working in.

Some individual employees mentioned these opportunities, although it did not feature heavily as part of the insight experience. Personally, I did not mind this as most commercial firms have similar sports, social and charitable opportunities, and I felt it was more important to spend time learning about the history, development, culture and future directions of the firm, rather than focussing on extra-curricular activities.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time and would recommend it to anyone who was seeking to understand more about the industry, and was unsure about their own career direction.